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John Peel
John Peel (b. John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, 30 August 1939) was a British radio presenter, DJ and music journalist famous for his long-running show on BBC Radio One which highlighted alternative and underground music. He is particularly noted for his switch from more traditional rock to punk and post-punk music after 1977 and in particular for championing post-punk and new wave bands such as Joy Division, Siouxsie & the Banshees, The Undertones, New Order and countless more. Prior to that he had also been an early supporter of major artists such as David Bowie, Queen, Mike Oldfield and Marc Bolan. His shows were also noted for the eclectic mix of styles and also for the regular 'sessions' in which bands and artists were invited to BBC studios to showcase their material with 'live in the studio' recordings of usually three to four tracks. Ever the anti-conformist, he became one of the most senior and respected DJs on radio and one of BBC Radio 1's longest-serving members. He also became a regular presenter of Top of the Pops between 1982 and 1986.https://peel.fandom.com/wiki/Top_Of_The_Pops_(Appearances) Peel continued to broadcast up until his death. He died from heart failure whilst on a working holiday in Peru on 25 October 2004. Connections * Like OMD, Peel was from the Wirral, on the other side of the Mersey from Liverpool. * OMD were among the bands Peel was pleased to showcase and champion during their early years. During a visit to Manchester for TV work in May 1979, he was given copies (possibly by Tony Wilson) of two new singles on Factory records, one of them was FAC 5, All Night Party by A Certain Ratio and the other was FAC 6. * His first known play of Electricity was on his Rock Today show for BFBS on 09 June 1979, where he recounts the above mentioned event. He comments that 'Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark is "..a silly name for a band..." but "..it's quite a good record..".https://peel.fandom.com/wiki/09_June_1979_(BFBS) * His first known play of Electricity on his national Radio 1 show was on 27 June 1979.https://peel.fandom.com/wiki/27_June_1979 * OMD recorded a total of four Peel sessions between August 1979 and January 1983, inclusing two in 1980. Only the Architecture & Morality period was not covered by session. During these sessions many tracks such as Bunker Soldiers, Enola Gay, Motion and Heart, Genetic Engineering and ABC Auto-Industry were heard for the first time. * Peel also played The Id's version of Julia's Song on 14 August 1979, highlighting that the group had become OMD.https://peel.fandom.com/wiki/14_August_1979 * The DJ regularly featured tracks from the group's first two albums during 1980, although, aside from the 1983 session, does not seem to have featured the group's recorded output after that year. He did however play both Maid of Orleans and Stanlow as late as 2002. *OMD featured on Peel's first regular TOTP on 04 February 1982, albeit to present a repeat performance of Maid of Orleans.https://peel.fandom.com/wiki/04_February_1982_(TOTP) A year later he presented the group in the studio for their first and only performance of Genetic Engineering on 03 March 1983.https://peel.fandom.com/wiki/03_March_1983_(TOTP) *''For a full list of sessions, other tracks played and TOTP appearances see the Peel Wiki page here.'' Category:People Category:Broadcasters